The Lindores Distilling Co. Ltd. Lindores Abbey Friar John Cor (60.2%)

This official Lindores Abbey single malt, bottled at 60.2%. Lindores Abbey at Newburgh revived distilling on the site of the earliest recorded Scotch, the 1494 entry for Friar John Cor. It was built in 2017 by Drew and Helen McKenzie Smith, whose family has held the Lindores land since 1913.

It was worked through copper stills for a layered young spirit, for a layered, fruity spirit, richer than a typical Lowland. Ex-Sherry wood added a dried fruit richness, fast on the young spirit. Natural colour and a high strength let the cask character show. The bottle shape is drawn from a 12th century pillar found in the abbey ruins. The 1494 Exchequer Rolls record a Lindores monk making aqua vitae for the king, the earliest written reference to Scotch. Michael Jackson wrote that for the whisky lover Lindores is a pilgrimage. The distillery was built in 2017 by Drew and Helen McKenzie Smith, whose family has held the land since 1913.

At a natural 60.2% it is bold and full. The Pedro Ximenez lends raisin, date and treacle, and the Amontillado adds a dry, nutty edge. It is rich and fruity, the young spirit shining through. The close is warm, fruit over young oak. This is Lindores Abbey's layered young single malt.